As Gov. Rick Perry and the Texas Legislature shot down efforts this year to boost fees statewide for transportation, they also granted exceptions to three Texas counties.

Under two bills that passed with little debate, Bexar, El Paso and Webb counties were given the authority to raise their vehicle registration fees by $10, with the extra revenue going toward local transportation projects.

In the last month, county commissioner courts in each of the three counties have voted unanimously to take advantage of the offer. Drivers in those three counties will start paying the higher fee starting Jan. 1. The total ...

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Seems odd that the lege would allow this but two sessions ago not allow DFW area the right to vote on taxing local fuel purchases for the same purpose...building and maintaining roads. But then again...there are many disjointed things going on in Austin.

September 4, 2013 @ 1:12 p.m.

E. Quote

Dear John, how governments work ....

"Friends and acquaintances are the surest passport to fortune." (Arthur Schopenhauer)My corollary: Especially if they run the government.

OK, Schopenhauer was a German, a Texan would put it this way:

“There’s a basic psychological principle, that if you associate somebody with pleasure, whether it be a gift or a fancy trip, that you will go out of your way to try and please them, to return the favor,” (Tom “Smitty” Smith)

and where have our tax dollars...GAS TAX...dollars been going? instead of to our transportation infrastructure improvement and repairs. to the Republicans falsely balanced budget...to make them look successful and good in their constituent's eyes. they have flat out refused to raise additional revenue even though out State has almost doubled in population...stealing it and moving it around from other areas to force the budget to look balanced!! they've SCREWED OVER TEXAS and the TEXAS TAXPAYERS GOOD!! THANKS to all the Texas dumb-asses that have kept these lying cheating crooks in power for decades...especially Bush and numb-nuts Perry. the Republicans have done so much damage to our State it will literally take several decades to repair the damage and our reputation.